It’s finally here! Election day is today, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout Montgomery County.

Before those commercials and campaign phone calls finally end, here are a few things to know before you cast your vote:

Who can vote? All voters must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Pennsylvania and their election district for at least 30 days ahead of Tuesday, and registered with Montgomery County 30 days ahead of the election.

When to vote? Polls open at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m., but anybody in line at the polling place at 8 p.m. is entitled to stay and cast their vote — and only first-time voters will have to present identification, according to Montgomery County Director of Voter Services Mike Morsch.

Advertisement

“What we’ve said to our judges (of elections) is to ask each voter for ID, but (voters) do not have to present it. Only a first-time voter at a polling place has to produce their ID,” Morsch said.

Do I need an ID? Voters who have cast votes at their polling place before will be asked for identification but do not need to present it at their polling place, thanks to a ruling by state Commonwealth Court last summer. Voters who are casting their ballots for their first time at a polling place may be asked to show ID to confirm their identity, and approved forms of ID include drivers licenses, U.S. passports, student IDs, and more — visit www.VotesPA.com for more information on how to prepare if you are a first time voters.

Where to vote? Polling places are typically well-marked, and Montgomery County keeps a searchable database onlineor visit www.MontcoPA.org and click on “Departments,” then “County Administration,” “Voter Services,” and “Polling Locations” to find where you can cast your vote.

Where can I check my registration status? Montgomery County’s Voter Services Office maintains records of more than 540,000 eligible voters; you can check your registration status and find your polling location online or by calling them at 610-278-3280.

Will provisional ballots be available? Yes, provisional ballots will be available at each polling place for voters who may have forgotten to register or to switch their voter registration to a new location, according to Morsch, but judges of elections will have registration records from the primary elections and supplemental lists of those added since the primary to check against.

“If you’re not in the book or on the supplemental list, then we can offer (voters) a provisional ballot, but what we suggest is that voters call the office because a voter might just be in the wrong polling place, or think they’re registered and are not registered,” he said.

“We want to give everyone as much of a chance to vote as possible, and that’s what provisional ballots are for,” Morsch said.

What if I have other problems? Any issues or problems encountered on Election Day can be reported to the Montgomery County Election Board at 610-278-3275.

Where can I learn more about the candidates? Check www.TimesHerald.com for information on local candidates, or visit the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters’ homepage and searchable index of candidates running this year at www.SmartVoter.org — and you may see candidates here and there on Tuesday, tweet us @Lansreporter if you do.